Rupali Chakankar resigns as NCP state women's wing chief
Mumbai (PTI): Under fire over her association with rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat, NCP leader Rupali Chakankar on Friday resigned as the party's Maharashtra women's wing chief.
"Following a discussion over the phone with (NCP president and deputy Chief Minister) Sunetra Pawar this morning, I am tendering my resignation as state president of the Nationalist Congress Party's women's wing," she said in a post on X.
Earlier, Chakankar had stepped down as chairman of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women after her links with Kharat came to light.
In the letter shared on the social media platform, Chakankar said that she had clarified her stand on the Kharat case on the very first day, asserting that she had no direct or indirect connection with his financial dealings or alleged wrongdoings.
Her stand remains clear and firm, and the truth would emerge in the course of investigation, Chakankar added.
The allegations being levelled against her in the media without any evidence are "painful" but the truth would ultimately prevail, she said.
Kharat, who headed a temple trust at Mirgaon in Nashik district, was arrested on March 18 after a woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him since then.
Chakankar was a member of the temple trust.
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Indian national killed in Abu Dhabi after missile debris falls in populated area
Abu Dhabi: An Indian national was killed and another injured after debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in a populated area of Abu Dhabi on Thursday, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Sweihan Street after air defence systems were activated to neutralise an incoming missile. While the projectile was intercepted, fragments from it fell to the ground, causing casualties and damaging several vehicles.
Officials confirmed that, besides the Indian victim, a Pakistani national was also killed in the incident. Among the injured were nationals of the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
In a post on X, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said the deaths occurred following the fall of debris after the successful interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems.
Emergency teams were deployed to the site to assist the injured and clear the debris. Authorities said the situation was brought under control and an investigation is underway.
The latest incident takes the number of Indian nationals killed in the ongoing Middle East conflict to at least seven.
According to the UAE Ministry of Defence, the country’s air defence systems have intercepted hundreds of aerial threats since the escalation began, including 372 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,826 unmanned aerial vehicles.
The ministry said 169 people have been injured since the start of attacks attributed to Iran, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. It reiterated that the country remains prepared to counter threats and safeguard national security.
